MONTREAL - The federal government is mulling offering iPads to bureaucrats to cut down on paper and printing costs.

In fact, about 20 treasury board workers are already using the high-tech device as part of a pilot project, QMI Agency has learned.

The senior officials, including several deputy ministers, have been using the Apple tablet computer since the fall.

The cost of the project is $23,500.

The officials argue the gadget could save hundreds of dollars a year in paper and printing costs for each staff member equipped with the device.

"According to a conservative estimate, the use of the iPad could save about$700 per person per year," said treasury board spokesman Pierre-AlainBujold.

The government accountability agency estimated that each senior official gets a binder filled with about 30 pages of briefing notes daily.

These would be replaced by digital versions.

"The goal of the project is to determine whether the iPad could replace the printing of massive quantities of documents for meetings," said Bujold,adding that they are also studying whether the device improved workplace efficiency and organization.

If the project is successful, it could be rolled out to other federal departments.

Bujold said the iPads - not laptops - were picked for the project because they were lightweight, user-friendly, had a long-lasting battery and allowed for easy note-taking.

It would cost about $7 million to outfit all of Ottawa's roughly 6,743high-level bureaucrats with the new high-tech device.

Ottawa isn't the only government experimenting with the tablet computer.

In the U.S., several cities have given iPads to municipal officials to replace printed documents.

The results of the pilot project are slated to be released within a few months.